Specialities

Top Locations

Officially the Republic of Kenya, the country is home to over 44 million people and covers over 581 thousand square miles of land, sharing borders with Somalia in the north-east, Ethiopia to the north, South Sudan to the north-west, Uganda to the west and Tanzania to the south as well as having an ocean border with the Indian Ocean on the south-east.

Kenya’s capital is Nairobi and its Parliamentary government is run under President Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy President William Samoei Ruto. It’s historically been recognized as one of the oldest human habitations in the world, with Ethiopia, often called the ‘Cradle of Mankind’ in near proximity.

Stone Age History

Early hominids (Orrorin Tugenensis) dating back possibly as far as 6.1 million years ago are believed to have inhabited Kenya as is denoted by fossils found in 2000 in the Tugen Hills. Additionally, Australopithecus Anamensis fossils have been found near Lake Turkana in 1965 which date back 4.1 million years, a 1.6 million year old Homo Erectus skeleton found in 1984 in Lake Turkana and Acheulian hand axes dating back as far as 1.76 million years ago have been discovered in Namoratunga on the coast of Lake Turkana, Nyanza.

Bronze Age History

By the start of the Bronze Age in the 3rd Millennium BC, the only remaining groups of hominin were anatomically modern humans and likely ancestors of the modern Khoisan peoples. Cushitic speakers migrated from northern Africa into the country around the 2nd Millennium BC.

Iron Age History

By the beginning of the Iron Age in the 1st Millennium BC, the Bantu peoples reached the country following their expansion from the Cameroon.

1st Century – 15th Century History

It’s known that by the 1st Century AD, Arab Traders had made contact with the peoples of the Kenyan coastline and had begun trading with the inhabitants. Shortly afterwards, Greek Merchants originating in Egypt had also begun to trade with the region and by the 5th Century AD, seafaring traders from India, Indonesia and the Persian Gulf had also begun to trade with the country and its surrounding neighbours. At a certain point in time, other countries in Oceanic Asia (mainly Malaysia) as well as China and Persia (modern day Iran) also began to trade with the region.

With a huge amount of increased traffic and commerce, large centres for business began to be constructed in settlements which eventually developed into city-states such as Pate, Malindi, Mombasa and Zanzibar. By the 8th Century the city-states had come under the influence of Islam which reinforced ties with the Gulf region and the surrounding Middle East area while the Swahili language had been standardized as the spoken language of business and Arabic became the prominent aspect of Swahili written language. Trade exploded as rare gems, ivory, gold, tortoise shells and slaves began to be traded in mass numbers and economies on all sides of the Indian Ocean dramatically rose.

By the end of the 15th Century, specifically 1498, the Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama reached Mombasa, Kenya, and attempted to begin setting up naval bases to gain control over the Indian Ocean, competing with other European economies, most prominently the Spanish, French and British Empires, in the process.

16th Century – 19th Century History

The Portuguese continued to install naval bases in the country and in the process set up direct trade routes with the Middle East and Africa as well as their goal country: India. Spice Trade routes became the biggest targets due to the influx of cultures conglomerated into one location and so the Red Sea and Persian Gulf began being targeted majorly by European colonies as trade routes, as well as many land-based caravan routes. However, the Republic of Venice rapidly gained control of these regions and began a trade monopoly following the closing of traditional land routes to India by the Ottoman Turks. The Portuguese began to try to break the monopoly by setting up formal settlements from the 16th Century onwards, starting in Tanzania and moving out from there. Eventually the Portuguese set up Fort Jesus in Mobasa in 1593 and using its influence combined with a strong naval force were able to demand high tariffs on transported items through the local area.

In the 17th Century, a combination of English, Dutch and Omani forces began to break the new monopoly set up by the Portuguese, openly attacking their fortresses and naval vessels with Omani forces capturing Fort Jesus in 1698, struggling to maintain control over the next few decades.

In the 18th Century, Omani forces expelled the last of the Portuguese forces in Kenya and the surrounding East Africa coastline, specifically capturing the last Portuguese stronghold in 1730. However, to the south in Mozambique, Portuguese ports, settlements and territories persisted well into the late 20th Century despite a now-lost interest in the region by the Portuguese Empire.

Following the expulsion of Portuguese forces from the region, Omani forces began to colonize the Kenyan and Tanzanian coastline and ran a much tighter monopoly on the city-states than the Portuguese had, but were unable to control the interior section of the country much like their predecessors. This was null, however, as the main trade routes via the ocean were now under Omani control, whom had begun a monopoly mainly on the Spice and Slave trades. The control of the Omani forces became so strong in fact, that the Omani Sultan Seyyid Said relocated Oman’s capital to Zanzibar in 1839. Meanwhile, the British Empire had focused their efforts purely on taking India and had disrupted the Omani trade routes in the process, putting pressure on Omani rule. Britain opened consul offices in Zanzibar alongside the French, Germans and Americans in 1840 to protect foreign investment in the area. Additionally, Britain began to launch Christian missionaries into the region in 1846 and in just four years they began to map the interior section of Kenya for the first time.

This new-found interest in Kenya sparked trade between the British Empire and Kenya, with Zanzibar becoming the main base of trade for the British, with the tonnage of foreign shipping calling at Zanzibar reaching 19 thousand tons by 1859. The British desired to abolish the slave trade at this point in time and this had put additional pressure on Oman’s forces due to their large dependence on the trade. In 1885, Imperial Germany set up a protectorate over the new Omani Sultan, Bargash bin Said’s, territory in Zanzibar. However, this was transferred to British Power in 1890 in exchange for the coast of Tanganyika, meeting strong resistance from multiple indigenous groups and individuals including Waiyaki Wa Hinga, leader of the Agikuyu, whom burned down Imperial British East Africa Company Administrator Frederick Lugard’s fort due to harassment after signing a treaty with the latter in the same year. In 1895, the British established direct rule through the East African Protectorate and the development of the first British railway from Mombasa to Kisumu began at the same time.

20th Century History

The railway line was completed in 1901 and in 1902, the border for the East Africa Protectorate was extended to Uganda, allowing fertile highlands to be used by the British Empire for coffee farms. In the same year, the railway line began being extended into Uganda and was completed the following year. As the British attempted to modernize the region, 32,000 Indian labourers were imported into the country and laws were passed in 1909 prohibiting witchcraft, which was a major cause of murders in the country at the time. By the end of the 1910s, militant resistance by African forces had died out, but aggravation festered on.

In 1911, the Maasai peoples were forcefully removed from the Laikipia Plateau and were restricted to the southern Loieta plains two years later in 1913. This was largely in attempt to make way for Europeans from Britain and South Africa to set up coffee farms in the region. The Kikuyu tribe were able to take back some of the land reserved for Europeans but continued to feel cheated out of their rightful lands. Further confrontation was found during the railway line’s construction, especially when the Nandi tribe leader and diviner, Koitalel Arap Samoei prophesied that a black snake would tear through the surrounding lands spitting fire, and was interpreted as the railway line sparking ten years of warring between the local tribes and builders of the line. The country became a military base for the British in the First World War in 1914 in an attempt to minimize activity by the German colonial efforts to the south, and despite a truce between the governors of British and German East Africa in the same year, Lieutenant Colonel Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck took command of German Military Forces and conducted a guerrilla warfare campaign. Lettow-Vorbeck was able to effectively capture most of Britain’s suppliers in the region but surrendered in Zambia eleven days after the end of the war in 1918.

As the war came to a close, the African natives in the region began to realize their effect on the surrounding area on a political level and began to actively form parties to participate in government starting in 1921 with Harry Thuku’s East African Association and Archdeacon Owen’s Voice of the People. Shortly afterwards, the Kikuyu Central Association (KCA) formed and began to attempt to unite the Kikuyu peoples, but this was seriously undermined by various controversies over tradition and support for Thuku.

By the 1930s, the government began to become negatively involved in the lives of ordinary Africans through changes in land management, educational supervision and marketing controls, devaluing the tribal hierarchies employed traditionally and further pressuring the indigenous peoples. At the same time, the White Coffee Farmers began to take a voice in government and through hut taxes, the banning of coffee grown by the natives and less valued labour, the natives began to move to the cities and the farmers took more land. As the end of the 30s rolled around, the Second World War kicked off and Kenya once again became a British military base.

Britain began launching campaigns against Italian forces in Somalia and Ethiopia from Kenya and through African Nationalism stimulated by the war, the British forces gained 98,000 African men in their military. On the closure of the war in 1945, African Nationalism kept on holding fast and a majority of the peoples had moved to the major cities. In 1946, the Kenya African Study Union, founded by Thuku in 1944, became the Kenya African Union (KAU) and the group began calling for widespread access to white-owned land and in 1947, Jomo Kenyatta became the new president of the KAU and pushed more aggressive polities and tactics.

In 1952, the British Colonial Office diversified its members in the Legislative Council greatly, electing 14 European, 6 Asian, 6 African and 2 Arabs whom rapidly became the driving force in government by 1954. At the same time, the Mau Mau militant group, dominated by the Kikuyu, rose up against British forces in the area and engaged in multiple bloody skirmishes with the British Army. By 1956, the British had killed over 12,000 Mau Mau Militants in an attempt to suppress the Mau Mau’s multiple atrocities and Kenyatta was convicted as the leader of the group, being sentenced to prison. However, the military campaign had strong implications; in 1958 the country received its first constitution, and, for the first time ever, Thuku, a Kikuyu, was able to win a coffee licence, becoming the first African Board member of the Kenya Planters Coffee Union in 1959.

Following the Mau Mau Uprising, the British realized that more struggles were inevitable unless change was made, so in 1960 the New Kenya Group reached an agreement between its African and English members that moved towards independence and equality. The Kenya African National Union (KANU) was formed as well by James S. Gichuru, a Kikuyu leader, and Tom Mboya, a Labour leader. However, the group fragmented in 1961 with the new group called the Kenya African Democratic Union (KADU) led by R. Ngala and M. Muliro. In the general elections in the same year, out of 33 African seats (20 were reserved by Europeans, Arabs and Asians), KANU took 19 seats while KADU took 11. In the same year, Kenyatta was released from prison and quickly became the president of majority seat holder KANU. A coalition was formed between the KADU and the KANU in the following year with Kenyatta as the head of the latter while Ngala took the head position of the former. They managed to establish a new 1962 Constitution which set up a 117-member House of Representatives and a 41-member Senate, dividing the country into seven regions, each with their own assembly. Furthermore, the principle of seats reserved for non-Africans was abandoned.

The following year in 1963, open elections were held with KADU gaining control of the Western, Coast and Rift Valley regions, and KANU gaining control of the Nyanza, Central and Eastern Regions as well as winning majorities in the Senate and House of Representatives. Kenyatta became President as Kenya, for the first time in history, gained complete self-governance. Further constitutional changes occurred in 1963 with British agreement, eventually culminating in Kenya’s independence at the end of the same year but retaining the status of a Commonwealth realm. The following year Kenya became a Republic and further constitutional changes were made. The White farmers were mainly bought out by the British government and returned to Britain, the resulting land was then split up and given to farmers, mainly Kikuyu, Meru and Embu tribespeople. KADU dissolves voluntarily in 1964 and most of the former members joined the only party left, KANU. KANU remained the sole government party until 1966 when it fractured again, with the fracture becoming the Kenya People’s Union (KPU) lead by Jaramogi Oginga Odinga. In 1969, Mboya was assassinated to stop his potential successorship to Kenyatta and following the proceeding riots and tensions between the Kikuyu and Luo peoples, the KPU was banned and Kenya became a one-party state.

Kenya entered into a proposal with Tanzania and Uganda to form an East African Union but the plan did not win approval, however, it was able to form the East African Community that maintained customs union and some common services until it fell apart in 1977. The following year, Kenyatta passed away and Vice-President Danial Arap Moi became interim President, and then was formally made President after being elected head of KANU and designated as the sole nominee. Moi quickly drove power and authority into his tribe, the Kalenjin, and a few allies, sparking a failed coup d’état by Senior Private Grade I Hezekiah Ochuka, riots and looting. In response to the attempt, Robert Ouko was appointed to expose corruption as high levels but was assassinated, with Moi’s closest associate dismissed and incriminated. Starting with Germany, multiple countries began to politically protest the violence of Moi’s regime and to push for the allowance of other parties.

In 1980, Kenyan forces pushed into the Somali Garissa District of the North Eastern Province under the premise of flushing out local gang leader Abdi Madobe but in actuality set fire to buildings, killed inhabitants and committed rape, the survivors were rounded up into a primary school and held there for three days without food or water, resulting in the deaths of over 3000. The Somali government threatened to occupy the country if the atrocities didn’t end and the Kenyan government responded by pulling out of the area. Four years later in 1984, Kenyan forces pushed into the Wagalla Airstrip in the same province under the ruse of diffusing clan-related conflict, kidnapping 5,000 Somali men and starving them of food and water for five days, before executing them.

With pressure mounting, the one-party section of the constitution was revoked in 1991 and the Forum for the Restoration of Democracy (FORD) was formed under Oginga Odinga, a Luo, and Kenneth Matiba, a Kikuyu. The following year in the general elections the government entered into a coalition as Moi took 37% of the vote, Matiba took 26%, Mwai Kibaki took 19% and Odinga took 18% with KANU winning 97 of the 188 seats. In 1993, Moi’s government agreed to economic reforms and serviced over $7.5 billion of its foreign debt. In 1997, the political system became even more liberal as political parties were made able to diversify from 11 parties to 26 and Moi retained his position as President in the elections but his party only barely held onto a majority in parliament. He realized his grip was slipping and attempted to shift the strategy of his party to the politics of generational conflict.

21st Century History

Due to not being able to run for President again due to the constitution, Moi appointed Uhuru Kenyatta as his successor, but the strategy backfired and instead his former Vice-President, now National Rainbow Coalition (NaRC) Leader Mwai Kibaki, was elected as President. For the next few years, Kenya’s economy dramatically improved due to a more balanced cabinet and widespread international support for its government, seeing its annual growth rate change from -1.6% in 2002 to 2.6% by 2004, 3.4% in 2005 and 5.5% in 2007. Despite this, tensions remained high due to social inequalities with a disproportionate amount of funding going to the Kikuyu and the already-wealthy.

In 2007 alone, 120 people were killed during a feud betweenthe Mungiki tribe and the police, and likewise in many places across the country, ethnic groups continued to fight for land. In the same year, the Oranga Democratic Movement (ODM) came into power with their leader, Raila Amolo Odinga, as President. However, it’s known that claims of rigging by both sides smeared the results of the elections, with the votes being roughly even before the rigging started.
In 2008, hundreds of Kalenjin came down from the hills and burned a Kikuyu school in Rift Valley and displaced three hundred thousand Kikuyu community members. The Kikuyu responded by forming into gangs, hunting down Luos and Kalenjins and killing them with makeshift weaponry.

Wording

Phonetic

English

Habari

Hah-bar-ee

Hello/Hi

Kwa Heri

Co-wah Heh-ree

Good Bye!

Unasema Kiingereza / Swahili

Oo-nah-seh-mah Kee-ehn-geh-reh-zah / Swah-hee-lee

Do you speak English / Spanish?

Jina Langu Ni...

Gee-nah Lahn-goo Nee

My name is…

Unaweza Kunsaidia

Oo-nah-weh-zah Koo-nee-sai-eed-ee-ah

Can you help me?

Mimi Nina Kuangalia Kwa...

Mee-mee Nee-nah Koo-ahn-gah-lee-ah Co-wah

I’m looking for…

Ndiyo / Hakuna

Un-dee-yoh / Hah-koo-nah

Yes / No

Asante

Ah-san-tay

Mr / Mrs / Miss

Leo / Sasa

Lee-oh / Sah-sah

Today / Now

Kesho / Jana

Keh-show / Jah-nah

Tomorrow / Yesterday

Hii / Kwamba / Hapa / Huko

Hee / Co-wahm-bah / Hah-pah / Hoo-koh

This / That / Here / There

Phrases

Above are a few common Swahili phrases to help you get around.

Languages

There are around 70 languages spoken in Kenya with most being indigenous to the region and a few being imported from foreign countries. Most prominent is Swahili which developed during the 1st Millennium AD following the boost in trade and commerce with the Gulf and South East Asia. Additionally, English is used throughout the country frequently, especially for business transactions.

Indigenous languages can be broken into two main groups, the Niger-Congo languages which include Kikuyu, Kamba and Ekegusii, and the Nilo-Saharan languages which include Dholuo, Kalenjin and Maasai, among others. Additionally, many Afro-Asiatic languages such as Oromo and Arabic, as well as many Indo-European languages such as Hindustani and German, are also spoken frequently.

Religion

The most prominent religion in Kenya is Christianity which makes up around 82% of the population, around 47% of the population is specifically the Protestant sect and a further 23% is Catholic, the remaining 12% is divided somewhat equally among Presbyterians, Baptists, Methodists, Reformed, Lutherans, the Anglican Church of Kenya, Pentecostal, New Apostolic Church, Eastern Orthodox Church, Jehovah’s Witnesses, Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Branhamism, the United Pentecostal Church International and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Islam’s foothold is Kenya is also strong with around 11% of the population, around 7% identify as Shia, 4% identify as Ahmadi and the remaining tends to identify as Sunni, mostly Shafii. The Baha’I Faith is also prominent, with around 1% of the population as followers. Around 2% of the population consider themselves Atheist and the remaining 3% are followers of indigenous African religions.

Museums, Galleries & Architecture

Kenya’s Architectural history is limited with mainly colonial-era buildings and modern buildings remaining. However, in some places various parts of Arabic culture exist, especially in many of the country’s Mosques. Likewise, some small parts of Gothic styles exist in some of the country’s Churches. Indigenous structures typically include small mud-huts with thatched roofing, sometimes covering the whole house.

Clothing, Dress Style & Etiquette

With over 42 different ethnic communities, each with its own traditional wear and symbolism, Kenya’s clothing is extremely diverse and may also contain influences from Arabic, European and even Asian cultures. However, several clothing pieces have become more prominent as of recent decades; these include the Kitenge (a piece of embroidered and tie-dyed cloth used to carry children or as a headscarf) and the Kanga (a piece of cloth with a print on it used as a body wrap).

Literature, Poetry, Music & Dance

Kenya’s music features a great deal of diversity with Benga, Afro-Fusion, Indigenous music, Folk songs and world hits commonly playing on Kenyan TV and Radio. These variants tend to have two distinctive types, Swahili and Congolese, which are often then combined further with modern pop and rock genres.
Popular artists in the country include Fadhili Williams, Them Mushrooms, Nameless, Necessary Noize, Kleptomaniax, Suzzanna Owiyo and Eric Wainaina. These artists frequently have their music featured on channels such as Channel O and MTV Base.

Calendar & Events

Starting on New Year’s Day, the first public holiday is celebrated, followed by Good Friday, Easter Sunday and Easter Monday which can be celebrated any time between the end of March and the middle of April. On May 1st, another public holiday, Labour Day, is announced, followed by Madaraka Day on June 1st which commemorates the day that Kenya attained internal self-rule. This is followed by Eid al-Fitr (the End of Ramadan) at the end of July.

Next, Mashujaa Day, also known as Heroes’ Day, is celebrated on October 20th to honour those whom contributed towards Kenya’s independence, shortly followed by Jamhuri Day, also known as Republic Day, on December 12th. Finally, Christmas Day and Boxing day are celebrated on December 25th and 26th respectively.

World famous, the Carnivore, located directly next to Wilson Airport and the Nairobi National Park, is THE place to be if you’re looking for an absolutely mind-blowing night out. The club regularly hosts concerts of up to twenty thousand people which features performers and musicians from all over Africa. Right next door is the Carnivore Restaurant for when you’re feeling the munchies after having a little dance.

Known to the locals as ‘F2’, the Florida 2000 is known for its wide range of high-class drinks and is located ideally in the city centre. But beware! This club isn’t for the faint of heart and features dancers for regular cabaret shows. However, it is good for food and provides nyamachoma (barbequed meat) alongside its drinks.

For a bit of a more chilled night out, Casablanca is your go-to spot. The club features more mellow Moroccan tunes and is split into three main areas which all incorporate a Bedouin style, complete with Shisha pipes, as well as an outer courtyard with open firepits and a small dance floor & bar.

The K1 Klub House has a much funkier atmosphere and features several bars including a sports bar with a large TV and a string of pool tables with a balcony. The K1 also features the Pitcher and Butch pub which incorporates a contemporary style fused with tribal African featurettes to bring forth a more relaxed atmosphere.

For a balance of relaxation and high-vibe energetic beats, the Rafikiz Bar & Lounge allows you to either chill out with some friends, good food and drinks, or you can hit the dance floor and blaze up a storm with lightning-fast footwork to the latest African top hits and tunes.

Money

Kenya uses the Kenyan Shilling (KES) as its currency, one of which can be divided down into 100 cents. KES 2 is worth about $0.02 or £0.01.

Coins are available in 5, 10, 25, 50 Cent variants as well as 1, 2, 5, 10 and 20 Shilling variants.

Kenya’s economy is mainly based in trading, making it a Market-Based Economy. This economy exports mainly to neighbours Uganda, Tanzania and the Congo as well as the Netherlands, the UK, the US and Egypt. Meanwhile it imports mainly from India, China, the UAE and Saudi Arabia. Today, the country sits on around $9.5 Billion public debt and sees a Gross Domestic Product of $41.84 Billion annually.

Kenya’s biggest exports are in natural resources such as Tea (21%), Cut Flowers (13%), Coffee (6%) and Legumes (4%) as well as a combination of other live plants, nuts and perfume plants. Additionally it has a roughly even split between processed natural resources such as Processed Fruits and Nuts (2%), Processed Vegetables (1%) and Tobacco (1%), industrial resources such as Refined Petroleum (4%), Cement (2%) and Feldspar (0.88%), and clothes, soap & cleaning products and other industries such as food, plastic and iron.

Banking

Kenya’s banking system is almost identical to most western countries’ and usually sees two main types of accounts including Current Accounts, where withdrawal is easy but interest rates are low, and Savings Accounts, where interest is higher but withdrawals may be restricted.

It should be mentioned however that although access to bank accounts via ATM machines is easy in large city-centres such as Nairobi, outside of the centres, especially in rural areas, withdrawing cash may be next to impossible.

Taxes

In Kenya, tax is applied in several ways, mainly on a corporate level but VAT and income tax, as well as several others, is also applied.

Residents of the country have several taxes applied including Royalties and Consultancy fees (both at 10% flat), Directors’ fees, Rents, Interest, Dividends and Capital gains tax (all 10% flat) and Income tax which scales as follows:

KES below 16,000 ($180 or £110): 5%

KES 16,000-32,000 ($360 or £210): 10%

KES 32,000-60,000 ($680 or £400): 15%

KES 60,000-86,000 ($980 or £570): 20%

KES over 86,000: 25%

It’s important to note that although Residents may be taxed on all of their income, Non-Residents are only taxed on their Kenya-sourced income.

Similar to Kenya’s clothing scene, the country’s cuisine is varied greatly due to its many countries, but common meals may include ingredients such as maize (corn), millet, sorghum, sukuma wiki (collard greens), ngwaci (sweet potatoes), ikwa (yams), nduma (taro root) and mianga (cassava) as well as many varieties of beans.

Dishes may include Ugali (dough made from maize flour served with vegetables or meat), Kachumbari (tomato and onion salad) and Chapati (unleavened flatbread).

VISA Requirements
Citizens of the following three countries do not require a visa to visit Kenya for up to 90 days:

Bahamas

Barbados

Belize

Botswana

Brunei

Burundi

Cyprus

Dominica

Ethiopia

Fiji

Gambia

Ghana

Grenada

Jamaica

Kiribati

Lesotho

Malawi

Maldives

Mauritius

Namibia

Nauru

Papua New Guinea

Rwanda

Samoa

Saint Kitts and Nevis

Saint Lucia

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

San Marino

Seychelles

Sierra Leone

Singapore

Solomon Islands

Swaziland

Tanzania

Tonga

Trinidad and Tobago

Tuvalu

Uganda

Vanuatu

Zambia

Zimbabwe

Citizens from Malaysia do not require a visa to visit Kenya for up to 30 days.

All other countries can obtain a visa on arrival in the country except for the following countries that require a visa in advance:

Afghanistan

Armenia

Azerbaijan

Cameroon

Democratic People’s Republic of Korea

Eritrea

Iraq

Kosovo

Lebanon

Libya

Mali

Palestine

Senegal

Somalia

South Africa

Tajikistan

Health Care

There are both public and private variants for healthcare in the country and these are mainly run through clinics, health centres, nursing homes and hospitals. These are maintained by the Ministry of Health located in Afya House in Nairobi. Additionally, private hospitals, clinics and healthcare is offered by several organizations including the AAR, Jubilee Insurance, Alexander Forbes Healthcare and Avenue Healthcare.

Statistically, the maternal mortality rate per 100,000 births is at 530 (0.53%), the under-five mortality rate per 1,000 live births is 86 (8.6%) and the neonatal mortality rate per 1,000 live births as a percentage of the under-five mortality rate is 33 (3.3%). Furthermore the lifetime risk of death for pregnant women is 1 in 38. The country’s biggest issues it faces alongside these concerns are the spread of HIV/AIDS (6.2% of the population are carriers), Tuberculosis (0.27%) and Malaria (around 15% of patients are admitted for Malaria and around 75% of Kenyans are susceptible to it).

Transportation

Kenya’s road network stretches over 160 thousand kilometres but it’s important to note that only just over 11 thousand kilometres (6.9%) are paved. These include many international highways such as the Cairo-Cape Town Highway and the Lagos-Mombasa Highway and are used by vehicles of all types including public transportation such as buses.

The country also has extensive Railway coverage, covering in excess of over 2,000 kilometres, including the Uganda Railway connecting Kenya to Uganda and Tanzania, as well as a variety of smaller lines connecting Kenya to South Sudan.

Waterways in Kenya are limited to just the Lake Victoria System with an international ports in Mombasa and Kisimu as well as an inland port in Kisumu.

Mombasa also has the only commercial port that reaches international standards, Kilindini Harbour and plans for another international port in Lamu are underway as well. The country currently has 3 ships of a size of over 1,000 tons, two being passenger/cargo and the last being a petroleum tanker.
The country also has a number of airports, around 194 in total but with only 15 having paved runways. The country’s top airline is probably AirKenya and the largest airports include Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Kisumu Airport, Wajir Airport and Moi International Airport.

CITY
Nairobi
PHONE
(254-20) 427 7100
FAX
(254-20) 427 7139
WEBSITE
http://www.kenya.embassy.gov.au/
EMAIL
australian.hc.kenya@dfat.gov.au
OFFICE HOURS
The Embassy will be open from 7.45am to 4.30pm Monday to Friday except for public holidays. Entry into the Australian High Commission for visa, immigration and citizenship matters is by appointment only.
DETAILS
Australian travelers and residents in Kenya are encouraged to register with the Australian High Commission in Kenya and seek updated information on current security issues.

CITY
Nairobi
PHONE
+00 254 20 445 1460-3
FAX
+00 254 20 445 1474
WEBSITE
http://www.ambnairobi.um.dk
EMAIL
nboamb@um.dk
OFFICE HOURS
Monday - Thursday: 7.30 am to 3.30 pm Friday: 7.30 am to 12.00 pm
DETAILS
The Faroe Islands and Greenland are part of the Kingdom of Denmark. As a main principle, the Danish Constitution stipulates that the foreign and security interests for all parts of the Kingdom of Denmark are the responsibility of the Danish government.

CITY
Nairobi
PHONE
00254204062781/ 00254204062782/ 00254204062783/ 00254204062784
FAX
00254204045262 / 00254204045263
WEBSITE
http://www.mofa.gov.sa/sites/mofaen/SaudiMissionsAbroad/SaudiEmbassiesAbroad/Africa/Pages/EmbassyID40896.aspx
EMAIL
keemb@mofa.gov.sa
OFFICE HOURS
From 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
DETAILS
A passport valid for at least six months and a visa are required for entry. Visas are issued for business and work, to visit close relatives, and for transit and religious visits. Visas for tourism are issued only for approved tour groups following organized itineraries. Airport and seaport visas are not available. All visas require a sponsor, can take several months to process, and must be obtained prior to arrival. Women visitors and residents are required to be met by their sponsor upon arrival. Women traveling alone, who are not met by sponsors, have experienced delays before being allowed to enter the country or to continue on other flights.

There are around 300,000 landlines in use and around 30 million cell phones active, the system works through a microwave radio relay or a VSAT system, connections include 4 Intelsat Earth Satellite stations and multiple communications cables connecting the Eastern African Submarine Cable System, the East African Marine System and SEACOM Fibre-Optic Submarine Cable Systems. The country uses the calling code +254.

Internet

The country uses the top-level domain .ke and is used by over 14 million users across the country on around 43,000 Fixed broadband subscriptions and a million Wireless broadband subscriptions. The internet is not censored in any way by the government and the constitution protects freedom of expression, however, technically the Communications Amendment Act of 2009 prohibits obscene information being published or transmitted, but no one has yet been prosecuted for any offenses related to this. Additionally, many rural areas may lack internet due to a currently limited infrastructure.

Communications

There are 2 state-owned radio broadcasters which provide both local and regional radio services across multiple languages as well as a large number of private stations broadcasting in a variety of local languages. There are over 3 million radios in the country with 24 AM stations, 8 FM and 6 shortwave.
There are well over a million TV sets across the country and around half a dozen privately owned stations and 2 state-owned stations which broadcast on satellite and cable services. Many channels are available which are available from many providers including Zuku TV, MultiChoice, Kenya Broadcasting Corporation and the BBC World Service.

Weather & Climate

Kenya’s precipitation gradients based on your distance from the ocean and it’s temperature gradients based on your elevation from sea-level.

Mombasa, by the ocean, may receive in excess of 250mm in the rainy seasons between April and June, but can receive as little as 10mm between January and March and due to the ocean breeze the temperature can fluctuate wildly during the day but generally sees temperatures drop to 28 degrees Centigrade ( Fahrenheit) during the cooler months of June to August, but may see temperatures as high as 34 degrees Centigrade ( Fahrenheit) between the months of January to March.

Further inland, the city of Kitale receives its heaviest rain during the months of May to August where rainfall as high as 170mm is possible, and its lowest rain during the months of December to February where rainfall can drop as low as 10mm. The temperature stays fairly consistent all year around and can see both its hottest temperatures, at up to 28 degrees Centigrade ( Fahrenheit), and its coldest temperatures, as low as 11 degrees Centigrade ( Fahrenheit) during the same early months of the year between December and February.

Holidays

Feel like just kicking back on the beach, catching some sun and enjoying a splash in the pool? Now you can at the Amani Tiwi Beach Resort. The Amani Tiwi Beach Resort features a distinctive native African style fused with old-world Latin architecture. During your stay you can also opt to stay in a Villa, take a cruise and also dine at any of several restaurants.

Fitting perfectly on the cliff-top coastline of the gorgeous sapphire Indian Ocean, the Mnarani Club come with its own infinity pool overlooking the Indian Ocean as well as its very own private beach for anyone looking to catch a little sunlight. Guests may opt to take part in watersports, try some cool cocktails at the beachside bar or perhaps try the restaurants’ buffet.

Meanwhile, located in the Baobab Forest, the Baobab Beach Resort is split into three sections, the Baobab, the Maridadi and the Kole Kole, each with its very own restaurant and pool. If you’re looking for activities, you’re in the right place as the Baobab Forest is perfect for exploring, or perhaps you’d like to try a gourmet a la carte or maybe even try your hand at big game fishing?

If you want a prime location for your holiday, mixed in with a chilled out scene, the Diani Sea Resort is ideal for your tastes! The hotel features close proximity to the ocean but also has its own series of pools so that you can try whatever you’re feeling like on the day! It keeps to a traditional African aesthetic style but does incorporate a lot of modern elements and touches.

For something a little more rustic but no less enjoyable, try the Leopard Beach Resort & Spa! The resort is placed in extremely close proximity to the beach and features a range of villas with thatched roofs and whitewashed walls for an authentic African village feel. However, the pool is fully-functional and has a range of tropical gardens surrounding it.

Children will not require any additional documents to travel to Kenya that an adult would not need.

To bring a pet to Kenya, you will require the following:

An import permit

An Airlines Captain Affidavit stating that your pet was on a direct flight to Kenya

An ISO Compliant Pet Microchip

A Rabies Vaccination administered more than 6 months and less than 1 year prior to entry

A Blood Titer Test more than 3 months and less than 2 years prior to entry

A Veterinary Certificate for Kenya completed by a USDA or CFIA accredited veterinarian or accredited by the Governing Authority of your country

A Ticks and Tapeworm Test completed within 48 hours of entry

Kenya’s education system features eight years of Primary Education, four years of Secondary Education and then four years of University Education. Upon completing Primary School, the student gains a Kenya Certificate of Primary Education and upon completing Secondary School, the student gains a Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education. However, some private schools do offer a system of education not unlike that in the United Kingdom, complete with O-Level exams taken at the end of Secondary School and then A-Level exams taken two years into High School. Pre-School is also available.

Primary School is both compulsory and free; beginning at the age of 6 or 7 after a year of Kindergarten has been completed. Each year in school is known as a ‘Standard’ corresponding to its year in sequence, i.e. Year 1 is Standard 1, Year 8 is Standard 8 etc. At the end of each year, students take exams and only progress onto the next year if they are successful in their exams, otherwise they repeat the year. In Standard 8 at the end of the year, the students take the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education Exams instead.

Secondary Schools in the country are divided down into three types; Government Funded (Public), Private and Harambe. Public Secondary Schools are open to all, Private Schools run independently of government funding but may offer better standards and variety such as apprenticeship solutions and technical schools, while Harambe Schools function like drop-out schools and tend to accept students with lower scores but do not receive full government funding. Students attend Secondary School for four years before sitting the School Leaving Exam at the end of the fourth year, and being awarded a Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education upon successful completion. Plans are currently underway to offer free Secondary Education to all Kenyans.

Additionally, some Kenyans may choose to enter one of several Vocational Schools or Colleges which offer courses for two or three years at a time and award certificates, diplomas and higher national diplomas in Business Education, Secretarial Studies, Teacher Training, Journalism, Design, Foreign Languages, Technical Skills, Tourism, Culinary Studies, Media, Computer Studies, Nursing and Accounting. Across the country there are 48 universities, 22 public and 26 private, the oldest being the University of Nairobi.

To work as a teacher in Kenya, successful applicants will require a Masters or Bachelor’s Degree in Education or a subject relevant to their line of teaching. Additionally, a Teaching Qualification is mandatory and at least 2 years of teaching experience are needed. Only native speakers of English whom have been trained in the west (US, UK, Canada, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand or South Africa) will be accepted.

Candidates with international experience are preferred, additionally, although TEFL and other certificates are not considered full teaching qualifications, having one alongside your degree and teaching qualification will largely boost your chances of being placed.

Living Costs in Kenya are extremely cheap compared to the west, as a meal at a restaurant would cost you KSH 300 ($3.40 or £2.00), a litre of water can cost as little as KSH 64 ($0.73 or £0.43), a litre of milk will cost around KSH 89 ($1.00 or £0.59), a 500g loaf of bread costs about KSH 51 ($0.58 or £0.34) and 12 eggs costs KSH 180 ($2.10 or £1.20).

Meanwhile, luxuries will set you back mildly more but are still inexpensive, with a litre of beer costing about KSH 260 ($3.00 or £1.70), a pack of cigarettes costs KSH 180 ($2.10 or £1.20) and a bottle of mid-range wine costs around KSH 1000 ($11 or £6.60).

Monthly rent is comparable, with a 1 bedroom apartment in the city centre costing KSH 44,000 ($500 or £290) and outside the city centre it drops down to KSH 31,000 ($350 or £210). Meanwhile a 3 bedroom apartment outside the city centre costs around KSH KSH 65,000 ($740 or £430) and inside the city centre it’ll cost significantly more at KSH 81,000 ($920 or £540).

The Football Kenya Federation organizes football-related events regularly and tries to improve the game constantly and consistently through regular promotions and regulation updates. They also organize youth-related programmes and competitions in association football in all of its forms.

The Kenya Rugby Union is the governing body of rugby in Kenya and is responsible for organizing all national teams in various levels of competition. This group helps to develop Kenyan Rugby Teams at all levels and is known for receiving the Federation of the Year category at the Kenyan Sports Personality of the Year Awards.

Perhaps you prefer less of a high-speed but no-less physical event? Perhaps you’d just like to get your feet wet? Try Aqua Ventures, the premier scuba diving group in Kenya, it organizes numerous dives throughout the year and gives you access to some of Kenya’s most beautiful natural environments, numerous coral reefs and a variety of stunning tropical fish.

And if you like getting in touch with nature, the Wildlife Clubs of Kenya operates to bring you face-to-face with it and organizes a range of events during the year as well as numerous youth programmes, classes and workshops. The WCK is also a large-scale activist organization, lobbying for conservation action in Kenya’s wilderness and wildlife parks alike.

Located on the site of Kenya’s Karen Blixen coffee estate, the Karen Golf and Country Club offers a large-scale golf course to all of you avid golfers out there. The club accepts anyone at any level of play and has a long history, dating back over 75 years and being designed by star designer Jean Remy Martin.

Petty crime such as ‘Snatch and Runs’ are high in Kenya, but more violent crime such as Vehicle hijacking (around 10 incidents a day in Nairobi), Armed Assault and Ethnic violence are also fairly high as well, alongside political crime such as Corruption and Terrorism.

Crimes are most often committed in city centres such as Nairobi, Kisumu and Mombasa as well as around many coastal beach resorts. Drug abuse and subsequent drug trafficking has also become a prominent issue in the country with young men in their 20s being the most common users, typically using cannabis and heroin the most.